Classical Kids Awarded Inaugural
2005 Karl Haas Prize for Music Education

The first-ever Karl Haas Prize for Music Education has been awarded to the series of recordings called Classical Kids, produced and distributed by The Children's Group, a Canadian-based company that markets children's music, videos, books, interactive CD-ROM's, educational resources and live concerts.

Named for Karl Haas, the late producer/host of Adventures in Good Music (WCLV/Seaway Productions), the Karl Haas Prize for Music Education will be presented annually to individuals or organizations committed to music education through the medium of radio.

Classical Kids, according to creator Susan Hammond, began as a music drama recorded in her living room. From the very start, professional resources were enlisted to find the right quality of voices to enact music-enriched plays about J.S. Bach coming to visit or Mr. Beethoven living upstairs from children who are the nexus with young target audiences. Titles in the on-going series include Mr. Bach Comes to Call, Beethoven Lives Upstairs, Song of the Unicorn, A Classical Kids Christmas, Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery, Daydreams and Lullabies, Tchaikovsky Discovers America, Hallelujah Handel, Mozart's Magnificent Voyage, and Mozart's Magic Fantasy. These last two titles have been merged into a stage show that is touring the United States and Canada in 2005.

The award's namesake, Karl Haas, received the first Fine Arts Radio International Awards Lifetime Achievement honor in 2000. Linked page includes video of his acceptance speech.

For further details about the Classical Kids recordings and other projects, visit The Children's Group website.